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For the first time in 2014, the UFC will be heading to Japan with a loaded card featuring some of the best the UFC has to offer. The event will be headlined by a huge heavyweight division bout as Roy Nelson battles Mark Hunt. There are a total of six fights on the preliminary card, with top fighters like Alex Caceres and Maximo Blanco in action.
Kicking off the action is a featherweight division affair as Maximo “Maxi†Blanco (10-6-1-1NC) competes against Daniel “The Hangman†Hooker (11-4-0). Blanco has only won just one of his last three under the UFC banner, with that lone win coming over Andy Ogle at UFC Fight Night: Munoz vs. Mousasi. Hooker is currently undefeated in UFC competition, with his win coming over Ian Entwistle at UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt. Blanco has not lived up to his potential in the UFC and that trend will continue as Hooker remains undefeated in UFC competition.
A pair of lightweights will step into the octagon next as Johnny Case (18-4-0) is in action against Kazuki Tokudome (12-5-1). Case will be making his UFC debut in this fight and he will be doing so on the strength on an eight fight winning streak. Tokudome has only won just one of three under the UFC banner, with that lone win coming over Cristiano Marcello at UFC On Fuel TV VIII. Case is riding a huge wave of momentum heading into his UFC debut and he will add to that momentum when he defeats Tokudome in this one.
Bantamweights will be entering the cage next as Kyung Ho “Mr. Perfect†Kang (12-7-0-1NC) dukes it out with Michinori Tanaka (10-0-0). Kang has won just one of three fights in UFC competition, with that lone win coming over Shunichi Shimizu at UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim. Tanaka made his UFC debut earlier this summer at UFC 174, where he defeated Roland Delorme by decision. Tanaka looked impressive in his UFC debut earlier this year and he will look good again when he wins his second straight in the UFC.
The welterweight division will be featured next as Hyun Gyu “The Ace†Lim (12-4-1) battles Takenori Sato (17-9-7). Lim will be looking to rebound from his first loss in the UFC, which came to Tarec Saffiedine at UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim. Sato is currently winless in UFC competition, having dropped a fight to Erick Silva at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi. Lim has already headlined a UFC event earlier this year and he will get closer to another headlining opportunity as he defeats Sato.
Up next is a featherweight division attraction as Katsunori Kikuno (21-6-2) takes on Sam Sicilia (13-4-0). Kikuno will be looking to rebound from his first UFC defeat, which came to Tony Ferguson at UFC 173. Sicilia has won two of his last three under the UFC banner, with a notable win coming over Godofredo Pepey at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson. Sicilia has been coming into his own in his last few UFC appearances and he will get another win as he defeats Kikuno.
Headlining this portion of the card is a bantamweight division fight as Alex “Bruce Leeroy†Caceres (10-6-0-1NC) faces Masanori Kanehara (23-11-5). Caceres is coming off of the biggest bout of his pro MMA career, which was a loss to Urijah Faber at UFC 175. Kanehara will be making his UFC debut in this fight, but he is coming off of a loss to Toshiaki Kitada at DEEP 66. Caceres will be learning a lot from that loss to Faber and he will use that experience to defeat Kanehara in this bout.
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